Battle and Romance
Battle and Romance (バトル アンド ロマンス) is the first album by Momoiro Clover Z. It was released on July 27, 2011 under Starchild Records. The album was released on three editions: Limited A, Limited B and Regular. The Limited A edition included a second CD with six solo songs, the Limited B edition included a DVD with two music videos and the regular edition is CD-only. The album was re-released on April 10, 2013 along with the release of 5th Dimension. The album charted at number #3 in the Oricon Weekly Chart, selling 23,967 in the first week and the re-release edition charted at number #2. Details The album is described as the beginning of new Z era of Momoclo.Natalie Power Push - Battle and Romance Interview. The album was first announced on April 16, 2011 in the sixth day of Shiren no Nanaban Shoubu talk show event along with the announcement of two accompanying singles and a national wide tour in Zepp music halls titled Momoclo Fantastic Tour 2011 Z de Ikutte Kimetanda Z!!. Those were the first three announcements they made after their name change.Natalie - ももクロ初のアルバム7月発売だZ!! 5都市Zeppツアーも決定 On May 20, 2011, the title and the singles for the album was revealed, the album included the newly recorded, 5-person version of the song for Ikuze! Kaitou Shoujo, Pinky Jones and Mirai Bowl. The album also included the promotional song for Mitsubishi 3D Display Diamondcrysta WIDE titled Kono Uta.Natalie - ももクロZアルバムにソロ曲6人分＆あかり最終公演DVD化 The album's lead single PV for Z Densetsu ~Owarinaki Kakumei~ and D' no Junjou was revealed on June 3 and June 20, 2011. Those two singles were released on July 6, 2011, about three weeks before the album release.Natalie - 月夜の晩にももクロ見参「D'の純情」PVは忍者モノだZ The ending theme song for the anime short Double J, Wani to Shampoo is also confirmed to be included in the album alongside the long awaited fan favorite Orange Note, the full tracklist was unveiled on July 4, 2011.Natalie - ももクロ1stアルバムに「オレンジノート」＆謎の“ボイン会 On July 27, 2011, the group held a special promotional event across Tokyo Metropolitan Area with an election campaign car driving around the 23 wards throughout Tokyo.Natalie - ももクロ選挙カー「BAR」携え都内各所を巡回だZ the girls jumped into the "Momoclo Election Car" and took a trip to Ebisu, where they visited multiple shrines and began doing PR for their album. After noon, the group then performed a free live in Shinjuku Station Square, where they performed four new songs off their first album. Approximately 4,000 people showed up to the live without any advance notice. Momoclo visited Harajuku, Shibuya, and Aoyama before stopping at their final destination: Tokyo Tower. There, they made a speech to commemorate the launch of their very first album, as approximately three hundred fans and members of the press watched on. The comedian Ryota Yamasato accompanying the girls to promote the album. Kanako made a memorable speech of their dream into Kohaku, "Let's go together! To the other side of Kohaku!" (一緒に行こうぜ！紅白の向こう側！). Shiori Tamai also added "If this album isn't number one, I'll cut my hair!"Natalie - 「一緒に行こうぜ！紅白の向こう側！」ももクロ所信表明Tokyohive - Momoiro Clover Z to cut their hair if their album doesn't hit #1? The album reached #3 in the Oricon Weekly Chart and selling 23,967 in the first week. Thus to keep up her words, Shiori cut her hair into short bob haircut (the haircut becomes her trademark until now) and managed to shock fans in the Summer Dive 2011 Gokurakumon Kara Konnichiwa live concert on August 20, 2011. The entire tracklists of the album also were performed in the live concert.Natalie - 放水！イメチェン！ももクロ、サプライズだらけの夏祭りだZ On October 25, 2011, the album received a limited LP (vinyl record) version release. The LP was released in two discs contain 13 tracks of the original album. The LP was available only in HMV and Lawson store.Natalie - ももクロからのXmasプレゼントはアナログ盤「BAR」だZ The album won the Grand Prize at the 4th CD Shop Awards on February 27, 2012, making Momoiro Clover Z the first idols to win it. The CD Shop Awards ceremony is held annually; the winners are chosen by votes from Japanese record store clerks. The award provides opportunity to raise awareness of the group in the music scene. Natalie - ももクロがCDショップ大賞受賞「次はノーベル賞！」 The album name is an homage to the now-inactive Japanese wrestling promotion, Wrestling and Romance, since the Momoiro Clover Z executives are professional wrestling fans. The regular version of the album cover is also a tribute to the Beatles's album cover in With the Beatles.Ongaku Himitsu Jouhou Kikan MI6. SSTV. Original broadcast on September 6, 2012 The album was re-released on April 10, 2013 along with the release of their second album 5th Dimension. Battle and Romance updated its peak position to 2nd, selling approximately 38,000 copies in the re-release week, second only to 5th Dimension (the sales jumped from the rank 138 into rank 2). Momoiro Clover Z is the 4th female artist to dominate the No.1 and 2 of the album chart, as it was previously accomplished by Fuji Keiko (August in 1970), Hamasaki Ayumi (March in 2007), and JUJU (November, in 2012). They are also the first female group to achieve it.Oricon News - ももクロ初首位＆1・2位独占　女性グループ初、10代歌手42年ぶり快挙も Tracklist #Z Densetsu ~Owarinaki Kakumei~ (Ｚ伝説～終わりなき革命～, Z Legend ~Neverending Revolution~) #CONTRADICTION #Mirai Bowl (ミライボウル, Future Bowl) #Wani to Shampoo (ワニとシャンプー, Crocodile and Shampoo) #Pinky Jones (ピンキージョーンズ) #Kimi no Ato (キミノアト, Trace of You) #D' no Junjou (D’の純情, D's Pure Heart) #Ame-no-tajikarao (天手力男) #Orange Note (オレンジノート) #Ikuze! Kaitou Shoujo (行くぜっ!怪盗少女, Let's go! Phantom Thief Girls) #Stardust Serenade (スターダストセレナーデ) #Kono Uta (コノウタ, This Song) #Momoclo no Nippon Banzai! (ももクロのニッポン万歳!, Momoclo's Japan Banzai!) *'Limited A Bonus CD' #Taiyou to Ekubo (太陽とえくぼ, Sun and Dimples) #fall into me #...Ai Desu ka? (…愛ですか?, Is this Love?) #Datte Ahrin Nan Da Moon (だって あーりんなんだもーん☆, I mean, I'm Ahrin☆) #Arigatou no Present (ありがとうのプレゼント, The Present of Gratitude) #Koi wa Abare Oni Daiko (恋は暴れ鬼太鼓, Love is a Rampaging Demon Drum) *'Limited B Bonus DVD' #Z Densetsu ~Owarinaki Kakumei~ music video #D' no Junjou music video Album Information *Z Densetsu ~Owarinaki Kakumei~ **4th Single of Momoiro Clover Z **"Aniki" of the anisong music, Ichiro Mizuki participated in the recording and narrated by Fumihiko Tachiki **Lyrics, Composer and Arrangement: Kenichi Maeyamada *CONTRADICTION **Lyrics: Takahiro Maeda **Composer and Arrangement: Tomotaka Osumi *Mirai Bowl **3rd Single of Momoiro Clover. Rearranged for five person version. **Ending theme for Dragon Crisis! anime. **Lyrics: Chokkyu Murano **Composer: Kenichi Maeyamada and Tomotaka Osumi **Arrangement: NARASAKI *Wani to Shampoo **Ending theme for Double J anime short. **Lyrics, Composer and Arrangement: Kenichi Maeyamada *Pinky Jones **2nd Single of Momoiro Clover. Rearranged for five person version. **Ending theme for Yosuga no Sora anime. **Lyrics: Chokkyu Murano **Composer and Arrangement: NARASAKI *Kimi no Ato **Lyrics: Shinya Tada **Composer and Arrangement: Ikuta Machine *D' no Junjou **5th Single of Momoiro Clover Z. **Lyrics: Natsumi Tadano **Composer and Arrangement: Masaru Yokoyama *Ame-no-tajikarao **Lyrics: Kanata Nakamura **Composer and Arrangement: NARASAKI *Orange Note **A fan favorite song since it's live concert debut in 2010. **Lyrics, Composer and Arrangement: Tadashi Tsukida *Ikuze! Kaitou Shoujo **1st Single of Momoiro Clover. Rearranged for five person version. **Lyrics, Composer and Arrangement: Kenichi Maeyamada *Stardust Serenade **Lyrics: Sachihiro **Composer and Arrangement: Takeshi Isozaki *Kono Uta **Promotional song for Mitsubishi 3D Display Diamondcrysta WIDE **Lyrics, Composer and Arrangement: Tadashi Tsukida *Momoclo no Nippon Banzai! **Album bonus track. **Lyrics, Composer and Arrangement: Kenichi Maeyamada *Taiyou to Ekubo **Kanako Momota solo song. **Lyrics and Composer: Mika Watanabe **Arrangement: Tomoki Kikuya *fall into me **Akari Hayami solo song. **Lyrics, Composer and Arrangement: RON *...Ai Desu ka? **Shiori Tamai solo song. **Lyrics: ENA☆ **Composer: Nijine **Arrangement: Tomoki Kikutani *Datte Ahrin Nan Da Moon **Ayaka Sasaki solo song. **Lyrics, Composer and Arrangement: Kenichi Maeyamada *Arigatou no Present **Momoka Ariyasu solo song. **Lyrics: ENA☆ **Composer and Arrangement: Eiji Kawai *Koi wa Abare Oni Daiko **Reni Takagi solo song. **Lyrics: ENA☆ **Composer and Arrangement: Nobuhiko Kashiwara Featured Members *Kanako Momota *Shiori Tamai *Ayaka Sasaki *Momoka Ariyasu *Reni Takagi *Akari Hayami (only in fall into me) Chart Positions Oricon :Weekly Sales: 23,967 :Monthly Reported Sales: 29,894 :Monthly Rank: 82 :Yearly Reported Rank: 144 :Yearly Reported Sales: 33,017 *'2013 Re-release' :Weekly Sales: 37,594 :Total Reported Sales: 170,143 :Yearly Reported Rank (2013): 77 :Yearly Reported Sales (2013): 81,258 Trivia *The album title is commonly abbreviated as BAR. *Despite being promoted as double side A single, Chai Maxx from the 3rd single Mirai Bowl / Chai Maxx didn't made it into the album. * Shiorin did what she said. She cut her hair because the album did not reach no 1 in the Oricon. References External Links Navigation Category:Momoiro Clover Z Category:Momoiro Clover Z Albums Category:2011 Albums Category:2011 Releases Category:Momoiro Clover Z Releases